The present invention relates to a cutting tool, and specifically to a tool for cutting a circular opening in a wafer barrier for attaching a colostomy pouch.
A colostomy is an opening or stoma made in the wall of the abdomen of a patient to which an opening in the colon (ostomy) is attached. Thereafter, the contents of the colon can be eliminated through the stoma instead of through the rectum or anus. The operation is called an ileostomy when the opening is through the lower part of the small intestines or ileum. A colostomy operation requires the attaching of a barrier to the skin around the opening and which may be called a wafer, such as a pectin or a kayara or other wafers, and which is used for attaching a stoma pouch. Colostomy pouches can then be held to the wafer and to the stoma by magnets, or by colostomy belts.
The present invention relates to a tool for quickly and accurately cutting a hole in the wafer barrier for attaching to the skin of the patient around the stoma. Inasmuch as the barrier material might be a relatively heavy co-polymer material having a thick adhesive layer, a tool is need which can accurately cut through the thick material with an opening for the attachment member for attaching a colostomy pouch.
A typical ostomate appliance can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,344,433 to Smith, and facilitates the connection between the stoma and the ostomy. A typical prior art punch which inserts a square blade into a square groove can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,721,144 to Yamamori and typical levered plier-like cutting tools can be seen in button-hole cutters in U.S. Pat. No. 97,996 and in U.S. Pat. No. 79,418 both to Walker. These cutting tools are for cutting button holes having a generally straight line with a specified length and cut against a fixed anvil. In addition to these Patents, prior art paper punches are typically leveraged punches including solid cylindrical cutting blades which enters a punching cylinder for punching holes in the edge of paper sheets.